Popular singer Joe Yamanaka died of lung cancer Sunday morning at a hospital in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture, a music industry source close to him said. He was 64.

Known as the vocalist of the rock band Flower Travellin’ Band, Yamanaka also pursued a solo career as a singer and as an actor, appearing in the 1977 movie ”Ningen no Shomei” (Proof of the Man) and singing its theme song, which became a hit tune.

Yamanaka made public in March last year that he had been diagnosed as having lung cancer.